Wednesday, 29 July 2015

Rafting on River Tons, the largest tributary of Yamuna, is considered the most challenging river rafting route in India. It offers one of the most technical river rafting expeditions and has plenty of rapids from grade 3 and 5, spaced with flat waters. An excellent river camping site, relaxing walks, ample angling opportunities and great white water make it an ideal getaway for adventure seekers. A selfie while rafting might not be everyone's cup of tea. HolidayIQ Traveller Ritesh says, “I had gone to Mori for a adventure trip for 4 days. it was super fun. White water river rafting in ice cold water, trekking in the nearby hills, rock climbing and rappelling.”

Monday, 27 July 2015

A glacier lake in Uttarakhand, Roopkund is popular among travelers as the skeleton lake, mostly because of human skulls once found at its edge. Nestled within the Himalayas, the area around this lake is uninhabited and there are no human settlements here though the unearthing of skeletons created an interest among tourists. Around 500 human bones were found in 1942 of people who have lived during the 12th century and possibly died due to some epidemic or in a hailstorm that stuck the Himalayas. This news excerpt made the place popular and vital discoveries were made until 2004. Presently, Roopkund falls on the way to the Nanda Devi pilgrimage center where pilgrims participate in the Nanda Devi Raj Jat festival held once in every 12 years.

Altitude - 5,029 meters above sea level

Best Time to Visit - May-October, winters have extreme cold temperature

Popularly referred to as the Mystery Lake, several myths exist about the skeletons found at this place. But no discoveries have been made about the civilization that thrived on its banks. The place is beautiful and the water is calm. Located at the foothills of Trishul and Nandghungti peaks, autumn is the best time to visit the place. The Nanda Devi Raj Jat festival takes place in the nearby Bedni Bugyal village during this time. Roopkund Lake remains frozen during major part of the year. With beautiful meadows and stunning backdrop of the Himalayas, trek to this place is special.

For adventure lovers, Roopkund offers a number of routes such as via Lohajung, Wan and Bhaguwabasa. The place is around 10 km from Bedni Bugyal.

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Dudhsagar Falls is a four-tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa. It is 60 km from Panaji by road and is located on the Madgaon-Belgaum rail route about 46 km east of Madgaon and 80 km south of Belgaum

But first up, the thunderous cascading star of the visit – the Dudhsagar waterfalls. A picture speaks a thousand words. But even a thousand pictures fall short of what hit us when we first laid our eyes on these waterfalls.

Dudhsagar waterfalls (Dudh: milk, Sagar: sea) are located in the middle of a forest on the Goa-Karnataka border. It is a four tiered waterfall with different ways to reach each level. The bottom of the waterfall is accessible through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. The forest department runs a 4WD service through the sanctuary up to the foot of the Dudhsagar waterfalls. This service is closed during monsoon.

Another, more popular approach is to the middle of the Dudhsagar waterfalls, through the railway tracks. We traveled in a passenger train from Madgaon in Goa to Kulem. At Kulem we boarded goods train. Some local guys agreed to be our guides and fixed us up with the motorman of the train that was leaving soon.

We stood on the edge holding on to the railing, outside the engine of the goods train. Traveling up the steep Braganza pass on the seamless tracks through a lush green forest in a rhythmic motion, with the wind in our faces, we felt one with the nature around!

The railways tracks trace a horseshoe (U) over the valley approaching the Dudhsagar waterfalls. The first glimpse of the falls is, hence, from across the valley. Our guide knew the exact point at which we would see the waterfalls. When the train got there, he started shouting “camera ready, view point, view point”.

We got the cameras all ready. The train slowly (and extremely steadily) approached the view point – and we froze. We just couldn’t take our eyes off it. At that moment, we couldn’t care about the camera, the photograph, the view point or anything else.

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Located about 750 ft above sea level amidst the Melagiri Hills, Hogenakkal Falls is majestic waterfalls in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the river Kaveri. It is situated in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, around 180 kms from Bangalore and 46 kms from Dharmapuri town. Hogenakkal waterfalls are the part of river Kaveri. At Hogenakkal, the Kaveri River creates numerous waterfalls that flow through the rocky terrain. Sometimes this waterfall referred to as the "Niagara of India". It is also called as Marikottayam by the locals. The trail to Hogenakkal Falls is very attractive, with verdant Mulberry fields, gigantic-sized Protector Goddess (Aiyanars) made of terracotta, numerous foliage in the area and the gushing sound of river Kaveri.

The water of the falls has some special powers as it flows through the forests filled with herbal plants and shrubs. Hence it is considered as extremely beneficial for the health taking a bath in the waterfalls of Hogenakkal. The place is famous for the medicinal power of its water.

The name of the Hogenakkal waterfall has been originated from two Kannada words – ‘hoge’ means smoke and ‘kal’ means rock. When the water of the falls hit the rocks, generates a fine cool spray, which creates a feeling of smoke; hence these rocks have been given the name ‘Smoking Rock’.

During rainy Seasons the verdant green ambience of Hogenakkal offers a thrilling view, which makes this place a tourist hotspot. The hills near the falls have many trails where adventure seekers can go trekking in the Melagiri Hills.

The Hogenakkal waterfalls cannot be reached by road; a boat-ride from the last motorable point takes the tourist near the waterfall. A coracle (a light, bowl-shaped boat with a frame of woven grasses, reeds, or saplings covered with hides) ride, which takes the tourist nearer to the shimmering, ripple waterfalls, can be a memorable experience. The closer view of Hogenakkal waterfalls is mesmerizing, impressive and even a bit scary. The prime attraction of the Hogenakkal falls is its vertical drop from the height of 20 meters with the thundering sounds. The entire area covered with the large trees and thorny plants looks like paradise. One can enjoy the natural beauty in the nature walk to the nearby areas.

Attractions:

Melagiri Hills: Melagiri Hills is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions near Hogenakkal. One can hike to Melagiri hills from Hogenakkal and explore the verdant, rocky landscape. The hills of Melagiri are a range of hills on the Eastern Ghats and situated between the Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri Districts of Tamil Nadu. Nestled between the Kaveri and Chinar rivers Melagiri Hills has an undulating landscape covered with dry deciduous, some stretches of shola vegetation and semi-evergreen forests. It is an elephant country and contains two traditional elephant corridors. This area is home to several animals such as Leopard, Dhole, Panther, Sloth Bear, Marsh Crocodile, Jackal, Chital, Gaur, Mouse deer, Sambar, brownish gray giant squirrel, Four-horned Antelope, Elephant etc. Various birds, like Grey Junglefowl, Crested Honey Buzzard, Peacock, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Fish Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Flower pecker are found in these hills.

Parameswari Temple: Located in the Pennagram village, Parameswari Temple is around 15 kms from Hogenakkal. Putlur Poongavanathamman, also known as Arulmigu Angala is believed to be the goddess of this temple. Since the goddess is believed to be the savior for all the infertile and pregnant ladies, majority of the devotees to the temple are women.

Krishnagiri Dam: Situated between Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts across the Kaveri River, Krishnagiri Dam is a favourite picnic spot near Hogenakkal. This Dam constructed across the Thenpennar and is a major tourist attraction. One can trek to the Yelagiri Hills in Eastern Ghat from Krishnagiri Dam.

Mettur Dam: Mettur Dam, the largest dam in India, was constructed in a gorge, where the River Kaveri enters the plains. The total length of this dam is 1,700 m. This dam creates Stanley Reservoir. Hogenakal Falls is upstream from this dam. Mettur Dam provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district.

Pennagram Village: Located around 15 kms from Hogenakkal Pennagram Village is surrounded by dense forests. It is in Dharmapuri District and famous for the brightly coloured giant terracotta statues. Since a large fair celebrated every week in this village, attracts a large number of tourists.

Kottakovil: Located on the northern side of Dharmapuri District, Kottakovil is famous for the temple built for Lord Shiva. Many rare sculptures and paintings can be found here. The temple contains the 'Hanging pillar', which is the major attraction of this place. Legend states that in this temple there was once a secret passage which linked it with Adhiyamankottai.

Best time to visit:This white waterfall is exciting soon after the monsoon when the river is brimming. Thus, the best season to visit Hogenekkal is immediately after the monsoons when the river roaring down swiftly with massive water. But some tourists prefer to visit this place during off-season to avoid the huge crowd. However, the best time to visit this place is between the months of September and December.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a Union Territory in western India. Nagar Haveli is wedged between Maharashtra and Gujarat, whereas Dadra is an enclave lying a few kilometres north of Nagar Haveli in Gujarat.Its capital is Silvassa.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in the watershed of the Daman Ganga River, which flows through the territory. The towns of Dadra and Silvassa both lie on the north bank of the river. The Western Ghats range rises to the east, and the foothills of the range occupy the eastern portion of the district. The territory is landlocked, although the Arabian Sea coast lies just to the west in Gujarat. Some of the famous places are Hirwavan garden, Tribal Museum at Silvassa, Vanganga Lake and Garden at Dadra, etc. It is also famous for its wild life.

Tourism in Dadra And Nagar Haveli

Owing to its scenic natural beauty and favorable climate, Dadra & Nagar Haveli tourism sector has been assigned high priority. The tourism in Dadra & Nagar Haveli comprises of natural spots, historical monuments, pilgrimage shrines and man made tourist attractions. To promote tourism in Dadra & Nagar Haveli, many traditional and modern cultural activities like celebration of Kite festival, Tarpa Festival, World Tourism day, etc are organized every year. The official website of Dadra & Nagar Haveli Tourism provides complete information about the city. For those want to known more about this beautiful destination can also obtain Dadra & Nagar Haveli Tourism Guide from the Tourist reception center located in the capital city, Silvassa.

Best Time To Visit Dadra And Nagar HaveliWinter is the ideal time to visit Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The place enjoys a pleasant climate from November to March. Even the summer temperature is not very high. Due to its proximity to the sea, the nights are also cool here.

How to Reach Dadra And Nagar HaveliTravel to Dadra & Nagar Haveli by Air : The nearest airport is at Mumbai (164 Kms). All major domestic and international operates regular flights to/from Mumbai.Travel to Dadra & Nagar Haveli by Rail: The nearest railway station is Vapi on western Railway. It is located at a distance of 17 km from the capital city, Silvassa. All-important Mail/Express trains are available at Vapi including Shatabdi, August Kranti Rajdhani, Karnavati and Ahinsa.Travel to Dadra & Nagar Haveli by Road: Dadra & Nagar Haveli is almost touching Mumbai – Baroda – Delhi National Highway No.8 (Western Express Highway). The state capital Silvassa is well connected with the important cities of western India by regular bus service.

Saturday, 11 July 2015

Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu:

Kodaikanal, an enchanting hill station in Tamil Nadu, lies in the lap of Palani Hills in Western Ghats. Popularly known as the 'Princess of Hill stations', Kodaikanal's beauty get glorified with the arrival of Monsoon. The forests turn greener and waterfalls starts gushing in these months.

Malshej Ghat, Maharashtra:

An ideal destination for Monsoon is Malshej Ghat, a mountain pass in the Pune district of Maharashtra. One can witness sharp mountain peaks, clouds kissing roads and migratory flamingos flying during the Monsoon.

Kausani, Uttarakhand:

The charming beauty of Kausani in Uttarakhand comes to live in rains. A peaceful hill station, close to Nainital, lies in the foothills of enthralling Himalayas and is famous as 'Mini Switzerland'.

Chikmagalur, Karnataka:

Another ideal Monsoon destination is Chikmagalur in Karnataka. The scenic place is famous for its rolling green hill slopes, glorious waterfalls and lush green forests.

Goa:

After scorching summer, the state becomes more captivating in rains. Goa offers a magical experience to get wet in rains with its clean beaches, greenery of palm trees and wildlife sanctuaries.

Pondicherry, recently renamed as Puducherry, is a town tucked away on the Eastern seaboard of India. Among its diverse attractions are a coastline of 32 kms, palm-fringed beaches, backwaters, fishing villages, beach resorts, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville, the French boulevard town with its French heritage, and so on. Some great food, some fine wine, and a great adventure await you here.

SPECIAL:For those coming to Pondicherry expecting a Goa-like place there is likely to be a great deal of disappointment. Unlike Goa, Pondicherry does not have a commercial infrastructure to entertain tourists. Pondicherry is a great place to look around, take a walk by the sea, attend a cultural program.

The Pondicherry tourism department uses the punch-line "Give time a break" for their advertisement campaign. And that is indeed one of the more attractive features of this city. So relax, put your feet up, switch off your cell phone, and forget all about returning to work on Monday morning. Enjoy a fine meal with a glass of wine, rent a bicycle and take a ride at the promenade, take a walk in the park. Do something new an interesting that you wouldn't do in the city you live in. Learn some pottery at the Golden Bridge Pottery.

You can also do some serious meditation at the Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Or you could visit Aurovilleto watch a cultural event such as a dance organized there by the Auroville Cultural Exchange. You can also go fishing in a Kattaraman- fishing raft of sorts.

Friday, 10 July 2015

The Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary and very rich for both flora and fauna along with rare and endangered ground orchids and red panda. The beautiful and frozen lake of India, Lake Tsongmo and the famous Nathu La passes is located near the Kyongnosla from 31 km (19 mi) east of Gangtok.

Majuli -Assam:-The large river island nested in the mighty and holy Brahmaputra river formed by Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of Brahmaputra and joined by Subansiri River. Majuli Island is the paradise for birds and best place for bird watching in Assam, 3 main locals for bird watching are south-east, south west and northern part of majuli Island.

Mechuka -Arunachal Pradesh:-

The Menchukha or Mechuka is a small town nested in the amazing valley of Mechuka and home to Memba tribe. Mechuka is the most popular tourist destination in Arunachal Pradesh and known for its scenic beauty, exotic tribes, gentle hills and snow-capped mountains and River Siyom. A 400-year-old Buddhist Monastery is located at hilltop in the western most part of Mechuka valley.Dawki-Meghalaya:-

Dawki is the beautiful town in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya and a road border crossings between India and bangladesh.he freely flowing Dawki or Umngot river in Shillong offers one of the most beautiful view of the city and the venue of the annual boat race held in March. The Umngot river also has a bridge known as Dawki Bridge, a suspension bridge over the river build by Britishers.

Mon-Nagaland:-

The Mon district of Nagaland is known as home to Konyak Nagas,traditional villages and tattooed warriors and a very nice sightseeing along with the wild forests. The major sightseeing places of mon district are fishing,wood carving, scull exhibits, second World War remains and bird watching. Nagaland is one of attractive hilly destinations with superb greenery scenery in India and one of the popular destination in North-east.

Moirang-Manipur:-

Moirang is famous for its largest freshwater lake in north-east India named as Loktak Lake or floating lake in the world due to its floating phumdis. Loktak Lake is situated near Moirang and 45 km from state capital Imphal. The area is the part of Keibul Lamjao National Park, the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai or Manipur brow-antlered deer.

Phawngpui-Mizoram:-Phawngpui is known as the Blue Mountain of Mizoram, is the highest mountain peak in Mizoram and famous for orchids and rhododendrons. The Phawngpui peak has spectacular trees and flowers of all colours and offers a fairytale view of the blue hazed hills, and vales unfolding below.

Unakoti-Tripura:-

The hills of Unakoti are the prime tourist attraction of the city in North Tripura. The rock-carved figures and stone images of God, Lord Shiva and gigantic Ganesha figures along with Maa Durga standing on a lion and images of Nandi Bull are the best to see. Ashokastami Mela is the big fair held in month of April and visited by thousands of pilgrims.

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Every year more and more curious travellers are visiting Shantiniketan to get a feel of the place, which was grown and nurtured by the Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Though, it can be visited any time of the year, it looks lovely in the rains. Shantiniketan as we know it today was shaped by Rabindranath Tagore, who started an open-air school 40 years after his father had founded an Ashram here in 1863. A place thus conceived where the cultures of the East and the West could meet in camaraderie and thereby strengthen the fundamental condition of world peace.

Shantiniketan resembles a lush green resort when after a long summer spell rains decide to wet the earth. There are a number of places that you can check out. The Visva Bharati campus has a number of buildings that are known for their unique architecture. There are beautiful gardens around that present a pretty picture. The Varsha Mangagal is celebrated in July-August. Cultural shows are held and a tree planting ceremony is preceded by Halokarshan (ploughing). Besides the in-campus highlights, there are a good number of places located around Shantiniketan. Kankalitala, 9 km away on the bank of the Kopai river is a sacred Hindu shrine. Deer Park (closed on Wednesday), 4 km from Shantiniketan is another interesting place to visit. Nanoor, 23 km from Shantiniketan is the birth place of the 14th century Vaishnava poet Chandidas. Regular buses are available from Bolpur Railway Station. One can also visit Joydev-Kenduli, which is the birth place of Joydev, the author of Geet Govinda, the 12th century masterpiece in Sanskrit.

Shantiniketan is a tourist attraction also because Rabindranath lived here and penned many of his literary classics (namely Tagore songs, poems, novels etc.) and his home is a place of historical importance.
Shantiniketan was earlier called Bhubandanga (named after Bhuban Dakat, a local dacoit), and was owned by the Tagore family. In 1862, Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, while on a boat journey to Raipur, came across a landscape with red soil and meadows of lush green paddy fields. Rows of chhatim trees and date palms charmed him. He stopped to look, decided to plant more saplings and built a small house. He called his home Santiniketan (abode of peace). Santiniketan became a spiritual centre where people from all religions were invited to join for meditation and prayers. He founded an 'Ashram' here in 1863 and became the initiator of the Brahmo Samaj.

Later on December 22nd 1901, Devendranath's son, Rabindranath Tagore started a school at Santiniketan named Brahmachary Asrama modelled on the lines of the ancient gurukul system. After he received the Nobel Prize which enhanced not only the pride of India but also the Prestige of Santiniketan the school was expanded into a university. It was renamed Visva Bharati, it's symbolic meaning being defined by Tagore as "where the world makes a home in a nest". The aim of this educational institute was the quest for truth, blending the methods of learning of the East and West. Visva Bharati, now more than a hundred years old, is one of the most prestigious universities of India with degree courses in humanities, social science, science, fine arts, music, performing arts, education, agricultural science and rural reconstruction. At Tagore's behest, the annual Paus utsav became an important cultural event where students and teachers of his school took an active part. Paus Mela, therefore, becomes a meeting ground for urban people and rural folk. Rural artisans bring their wares like batik printed materials, the most famous Santiniketan Leather bags, earthen wares, paintings, etc, to the fair while urban relatives set up stalls so that rural people could buy the new industrially produced goods that was revolutionizing life in the cities. While it has not discarded its traditional value systems the educational system founded by Tagore thus proves to have also kept pace and evolved with changing times.

Apart from Visva Bharati the Bengal Institute of Technology and Management (BITM) is also located in Santiniketan - a place you wouldn't readily associate with an engineering college. Even the surroundings are very different from, say, a BE College or a Jadavpur University. Situated in the midst of paddy fields along the Sriniketan bypass, seven kilometres from Bolpur, the BITM Santiniketan campus looks desolate and there's hardly any transport connecting the college to the nearest town. But once you enter BITM, it's a different world. You are greeted by huge buildings, gardens, canteens, laboratories and playgrounds that dot the 60-acre campus.
Altough the main attraction of this place remains because of its association with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), one of Bengal's greatest figures, of course the natural charm of Santiniketan is a major draw in itself. Home at Santiniketan would surely call for peaceful Residential Neighbourhood at Santiniketan amidst the greenery all around. Thus here comes Upoban the new concept of housing complex launched as a joint venture of Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Limited and Sriniketan Santiniketan Development Authority who enhances on materializing their vision of setting a well facilitated Residential neighbourhood at Santiniketan with utmost satisfaction of its residents.
However since this is one of the most renowned and coveted tourist spot in Bengal one would surely like to gather information on Hotels at Santiniketan. Please note that there are tourist lodges and Tourist cottages run by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation apart from which Visva Bharati runs a guesthouse as well. One can also find youth hostels at Bolpur and Bakeswar along with quite a few private hotels at Bolpur.
Weather in Santiniketan is usually a pleasant one although you will come across the normal weather changes during Summer, winter and Monsoon. Nonetheless Spring has its own charm in Santiniketan not only because of its natural beauty blooming to its fullest amidst the lush greenery but also due to the famous Vasanta Utsav held to mark the festival of Holi with the onset of Spring.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

One of the most popular destinations in Kerala, Alleppey looks like a beautiful picture with a silvery mist and lush green hills during the rains.

Canals, backwaters, and the beaches are at their best and snakeboats can be seen battling in races. The whole place is wet and green and has a romantic feel to it during the monsoons.

A ride into the interiors of Alleppey in a shikara is an experience worth your time and money. Alleppey is less crowded as compared to its travel contemporary Munnar during the monsoon and is therefore a better choice for a quiet getaway.Situated on the south-western coast of India, Alappuzha is also known by its anglicized name Allepey. Alappuzha is endowed with immense natural beauty and can be called the capital of Kerala’s backwater tourism. In the past, Alappuzha port was amongst the busiest trade centers and traded with the Persian Gulf regions and even Europe. Close to Alappuzha lies Kuttanad, the ‘granary of Kerala’. Kuttanad is among the few places where farming is done below sea level.

In early 20th Century, the then British Viceroy Lord Curzon while visiting Alappuzha was fascinated by its scenic beauty and declared it as the Venice of the East. Though, foundations of the city were laid by Travancore’s Diwan Raja Kesava Das in the second half of 18th century, Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece and Rome.

Even travelers like Pliny and Ptolemy have mentioned about places in Alappuzha in their classical works. It was because of efforts and foresight of Raja Kesava Das that Alappuzha became a premier port town. The Travancore Diwan constructed roads and canals to improve communications. Christianity was brought to Alappuzha by St. Thomas, the apostle. The religion found a strong foot-hold in Alappuzha and surrounding areas. Thomas. Alappuzha was also at the forefront of the freedom struggle and Communist movement in Kerala.

Sunday, 5 July 2015

Auli, a hill station in the lap of Himalayas, is counted among the best ski destinations in the country. It has some awe-inspiring natural vistas to explore.

Located in the cradle of snow-capped mountains Auli, is a place too good to be put in words.The adventure destination of Auli lies towards the north of the state of Uttaranchal in Chamoli district and forms a part of the Garhwal mountain range. Auli is 16 km away from Joshimath at height of 2895m. The place is known for skiing more than anything else. Auli is the kind of place where pleasure and adventure, wild beauty and slopes of snow field, nature's beauty in its best form comes alive. The deodar and oak forests cover the slopes and reduce the velocity of the chilly winds to the minimum.The steep slopes of Auli seem to beckon all the adventure seekers. They offer a panoramic view of many a famous Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana Parvat and Dunagiri. Representing man's constant endeavour to triumph over nature, Auli proves to be an ideal locale for the daring. For several hundred years, the nomadic Bhotiyas walked the sheep trails of Auli, locally called Thatauli. In the winter, the terrain transforms itself into perfect skiing slopes.

Tourist attractions in Auli

Dayara Bugyal : Bugyal in the local language means "high altitude meadow". Situated at an elevation of about 3048 mts. The panoramic view of the Himalayas from here is breathtaking.Mundali : Mundali is situated in district Dehradun 129 km from Dehradun via Chakrata. Mandali offers a mind blowing view of the snow coated Himalayas.Munsyari : Nestling amidst spectacular Kumaon Himalayas at a height of 1645 m, Pithoragarh is often called 'Miniature Kashmir'.Asan Barrage Water Sports Resort : GMVN has developed a water sports resorts at Asan Barrage. The resort is only 43 km from Dehradun-Chandigarh Shimla highway.Nanaksagar Matta : Nanaksagar in Udhamsingh Nagar of Uttaranchal Hills is a place ideal for water sports.Bidhauli is a quiet - picturesque wilderness destination, some 20km off Dehradun on the Paunta Sahib road.Joshimath, just 16 kilometers away is a beautiful place. The place has ancient temples which date back to as long as 8th century.Bageshwar - Sunderdhunga - Pindari - Kafni Glacier Trek : At the confluence of the rivers Gomti and Saryu 36 kms from Kausani, lies this religious town of Bageshwar.Gurso Bugyal : It is just three kilometres from Auli. Gurso is a huge beautiful meadow spread out and blessed with picture like beauty by nature.Kwani Bugyal : Twelve kilometres from Gurso, is another beautiful meadow, Kwani bugyal. The place is at a height of 3350 meters and is quite popular with trekkers.Chattrakund : While on trip to Gurso Bugyal, just a kilometre ahead is Chattrakund which you can easily include in your trip. In the centre of jungle is this sweet water lake called Chattrakund.

Friday, 3 July 2015

The Western Ghats or Sahyādri runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The range starts near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, south of the Tapti River, and runs approximately 1600 km through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala ending at Kanyakumari. These hills cover 160,000 km² (roughly 6% of India’s total geographical area) and form the catchment area for complex riverine drainage systems that drain almost 40% of India. The average elevation is around 1,200-1300 metres. Western Ghats are home to 30% of flora and fauna species found in India

Mountains:

Western Ghats are known as Sahyadri in northern Maharashtra, Sahya Parvatam in Kerala and Nilagiri Malai in Tamil Nadu. Western Ghats are home to many hill stations like Matheran, Lonavala-Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Amboli Ghat, Kudremukh and Kodagu. The extreme northern parts of Western Ghats falls in the Dangs district of Gujarat, known for Dang (Bamboo) forests. The confluence of the Eastern and the Western Ghats is at Biligirirangan Hills in Karnataka. Anamudi 2,695 metres in Kerala the highest peak in Western Ghats. Mullayanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka 1,950 meters. The smaller ranges of the Western Ghats include the Cardamom Hills and the Nilgiri Hills. Cardamom hills are located in southeast Kerala and southwest Tamil Nadu. They conjoin the Anaimalai Hills to the northwest, the Palni Hills to the northeast and the Agasthyamalai Hills to the south as far as the Ariankavu pass. The crest of the hills forms the boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Anamudi is also located in Cardamom Hills. The Nilgiri Hills are home to the hill station Ooty. There are many important passes in Western Ghats such as Tamhini Ghat, Palakkad Gap, Naneghat, Kasara ghat etc. The northern portion of the narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan Coast, the central portion is called Kanara and the southern portion is called Malabar region or the Malabar Coast. The foothill region east of the Ghats in Maharashtra is known as Desh, while the eastern foothills of the central Karnataka state is known as Malenadu

Geology :

There are two views regarding the Geology of the Western Ghats. One view says the mountains of the Western Ghats are Block Mountains formed due to the down warping of a part of land into the Arabian Sea. Other view says that the mountains of the Western Ghats are not true mountains, but are the faulted edge of the Deccan Plateau. Major rocks found in the region include Basalt, charnockites, granite gneiss, khondalites, leptynites, metamorphic gneisses with detached occurrences of crystalline limestone, iron ore, dolerites and anorthosites.

Rivers:

The rivers that originate in Western Ghats and flow towards west are Periyar, Bharathappuzha, Netravati, Sharavathi, Mandovi etc. The west flowing rivers of Western Ghats are fast-moving, owing to the short distance travelled and steeper gradient. This makes Western Ghats more useful than Eastern Ghats in terms of production of hydroelectricity. The steep gradient makes the Jog Falls on Shravasthi River in Karnataka as one of the most spectacular waterfalls in India. Narmada and Tapti although don’t rise from Western Ghats but flow westwards. The rivers that originate in Western Ghats and flow towards east include three major rivers viz. Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, and many smaller / tributary rivers such as Tunga, Bhadra, Bhima, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Hemavathi, Kabini. These east flowing rivers are comparatively slower moving and eventually merge into larger rivers such as the Kaveri and Krishna.

Climate

In comparison to the eastern side, the western side of the Western Ghats is area of high rainfall because the mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds. The dense forests also contribute to high orographic precipitation. The climate is humid and tropical in the lower reaches tempered by the proximity to the sea. Elevations of 1,500 m and above in the north and 2,000 m and above in the south have a more temperate climate. Average annual temperature here is around 15 °C. In some parts frost is common, and temperatures touch the freezing point during the winter months. Mean temperature range from 20 °C in the south to 24 °C in the north. It has also been observed that the coldest periods in the south Western Ghats coincide with the wettest. During the monsoon season between June and September, the unbroken Western Ghats chain acts as a barrier to the moisture laden clouds. The heavy, eastward-moving rain-bearing clouds are forced to rise and in the process deposit most of their rain on the windward side. Rainfall in this region averages 3,000–4,000 mm. The eastern region of the Western Ghats which lie in the rain shadow, receive far less rainfall averaging about 1,000 mm bringing the average rainfall figure to 2,500 mm.